Betrayal
by achrtelot
Summary: An overachiever, hard working girl and a cold, self centered boy. When their paths meet, their lives change miraculously... or so they think. CCxDM
1. P r o l o g u e

AN: This is an editted version. If you find any more mistakes, notify me. This is my first fan fiction so I gotta say sorry for my mistakes :

Disclaimers are overrated.

Prologue

_His eyes were glistening, from either malice or enjoyment. I don't know which. His eyes, cold and empty, pierced my soul. Looking into them reminded me of an icy winter day. It froze me to my bones. I dared not breathe and I trembled with fear. I had never been so afraid of him in my life._

_Finally, he smirked. "Nothing was real. I never loved you. You fell for the act."_

_At those words, my heart plunged. My feelings burned with intensity. His words had such a great effect on me, and I hated it. I loathed this feeling of hopelessness, of an immense loss. This feeling was stronger than anything imagined._

_I stared him in the face, attempting to hide my inside. He peered at me, reading me perfectly. Laughing, he spat out, "Silly girl, go back home. I have no use for you now. I don't need you anymore, Cho."_

_At that statement, I laughed, hollowly, the sound scratchy and unreal to my ears. "You're wrong. You _always _needed me."_


	2. O n e

I'm Not You

Draco Malfoy meant nothing to me at first. He didn't exist in my world. I never harbored any of these foolish feelings. It was nonexistent to me. Everything was perfect before he came and ruined it. I had a wonderful life before he entered it.

We always passed each other in the halls. We knew each other but didn't at the same time. He was the reserved, cold loner; I was the popular, pretty girl. He never spoke voluntarily and when he did, it was full of hostility and venom. I never paid any attention to him. Our paths never crossed for 6 years, and it's a wonder why we met.

He became the king of sex later on. He made it well-known who he slept with. Most of the girls that had fallen under his manipulative spell had become crushed. He was one that cared for no one and ignorant to others' emotions.

I never liked him as a person for he was what I thought disgusting and crude. With no regards for others, he was self-centered and selfish. He only cared for himself and no one else. How could anyone like him? All those girls he fooled into thinking that they were special and that he would treat them different, I pitied them. They were taken advantage of and they all lost their virginity from him. He was a demon to me, untamed and brutish.

So then came the day of our meeting. I was Head Girl and he was a prefect. All prefects had the project of throwing a ball. The Head Boy and Girl were to be in charge. We decided to partner up to come up with ideas. I automatically thought that I would be partnered up with Miles Bletchley, the Slytherin Head Boy. Who knew that chance would lead Malfoy and I to each other?

I had not looked forward to it, I assure you, for he was not very hard-working, and I knew that it would be up to me that would do all the work. Although it is better for me to do the work rather than have him do a horrible job. At least then, we'd look good with our appealing ideas. Besides, it's my status that mattered, for my parents, like all Asian parents, wanted me to be the best. They expected their only child to be successful.

Yet, somehow, he wanted to do some work, although I didn't know it at first. He was subtle and indirect. I had assumed that I would be left to do the whole project on my own and he helped me quietly, like a cat stalking a mouse. Initially, I had not noticed. But he began to make a bigger effort, like asking me if we were working at the library and getting the materials we needed. I thought it was a sweet attempt at working and had not taken him serious enough. When he finally asked me, straightforwardly, "Chang, is there anything else I can help with?" I finally realized he had wanted to earn his part as well.

This puzzled me greatly; for he had never given up an opportunity to have someone else do the work. He had always depended on others to provide the work and he would be the freeloader he was and use it, no matter what. At first, I thought he just wanted something from me like all the other girls he had imposed upon. I answered him in my calmest manner what he needed to do and tested him to see if he was genuine. He proved to make a very big effort and still, I did not trust him. Truly, I was afraid. I was scared of him. I was scared of what he might do to me.

My guards were always up during those weeks. Not once did I let my shield down. My mind was always alert and aware of what he did and said. I thought before I spoke and took great measures to keep myself at a safe distance. He either didn't notice or he didn't mind.

Once the ball was planned, I felt relieved. Not only did I not have to see him again, but I believed our efforts would be great. I felt some sort of gratitude towards Malfoy but not enough to want to work on another project with him.

However, after our assignment, he seemed to form a bond with me. He had some sort of an effect on how I felt and thought. I didn't admit it right away but I knew it. Deep inside, I knew that if he had asked me to do something, I would have sincerely wanted to do it.

He spent more time with me but didn't necessarily say anything. Whenever I ate outside on my own, he followed and sat with me. Not a word passed between us. If you had watched us, it would be a funny scene, indeed. We acted like we didn't know of each other's existence, yet I felt a good feeling whenever I was around him. Something that perked up my day.

Had I known what fate was restored for me, I would have put an end to this. But of course, I hadn't known what was about to happen, so I believed everything would be alright. My childish mind was still in its innocence mode. I believed everything was good and was unaware of the bad.

One particular day, he spoke, at last. It was nothing special, of course, but at least, he did say something.

"Why do you sit outside alone everyday when you have so many friends awaiting you inside?" he asked. His monotone voice had no emotion in it. It was not curious, nor accusing. It was just, somehow, there.

I shrugged. "I like being alone sometimes. It lets me think better."

"I'm always alone and let me tell you that it doesn't really let you think better."

"Well, we're not talking about you, are we?" I said, smoothly. I had gotten into a habit to think before I talk to him, that I made retorts to everything he said.

No one said anything and an awkward silence passed between us. If he never said anything at all, there would be no awkward silence. It'd just be silent.

I fumbled with my food. "So why do you eat out here?"

"I'm not you," he sneered. I was surprised he'd use my words against myself. "I don't have friends and I'm not popular like you."

I could have sworn he muttered, "Nor do I want to be" but I wasn't quite sure. Perhaps it was my brain construing that.

"Everyone should have a friend," I said, matter-of-factly, "Even _you_ should have a friend."

He laughed at that. It was not a laugh that expressed happiness, but a bitter one. "I don't want one, thank you."

I shook my head. "I wasn't offering you one, doofus. I'm just saying that everyone needs a friend."

"I guess I'm a contradiction to that statement. I neither want a friend nor need one," he said, gritting his teeth. Somehow, I didn't want to press the matter any more, in fear that he'd get angry.

So I tried a different approach. "What about your family?"

"What about them?"

I sucked in a deep breath. "Well, don't you suppose they are your friends?"

"Chang, do you know how stupid that just sounded?"

I burst out laughing, almost against my will. I hadn't meant to laugh with _Malfoy_, of all people. "Sorry, I'm just stupid."

Another awkward silence. I told myself to butt out and if he still wanted to talk, he could start the conversation.

And he did. "My dad is as well-known as a Death Eater. I could hardly call him a father, let alone a friend. My mother's weak and submits to my father's will. She doesn't want to report it because she's afraid something bad will happen. She still loves that sorry ass of a father. I can't call her a friend, either. None of them care what I do or what happens to me. So in turn, I don't care about them."

I let that information sink in. Why was he telling me this? "But they're your family."

"Yeah, I call them that. My father, at times, yells at me for disgracing the family but now, I've gotten smarter. I take his cursing and leave the house." He paused and turned to me with those deep blue eyes he has. "Do you call that a family?"

My heart reached out to him. I had pitied this misunderstood person. I hadn't known about his family and easily assumed that he was a cruel person for all the mean things he said to Harry.

"Malfoy…"

"I never had the fortune of a loving family. All that's in there is hate. I hardly even live there anymore. The only time I go back is for during summer, and even then, I spend my nights out. That's it."

At that very moment, I wanted to be the one who could cure his pain. To make it go away. That very second, I would have done anything in my power to stop his hurt. His bitterness had shown, and I wanted to help.

Tentatively, I reached my hand and touched his, as a sign of comfort. He hadn't pushed it away so I took it as a good sign. He turned to face me. His usual harsh blue eyes were now resentful and a bit clouded. It seemed as if he was tired. Tired of his life.

Finally, I whispered, nearly subconsciously, "I'll be your friend if you want me to."


	3. T w o

Nothing and Everything

I made it a routine to sit outside during lunch. Every day, Malfoy would join me and we'd either talk about small things or not talk at all. That latter usually happened more often.

Inside the school, however, we did not talk, nor even acknowledge each other. It was a silent agreement. Out of school, when no one's watching, we'd be friends. In school, on the other hand, we'd pretend the other wasn't present. I didn't want to jeopardize our newfound friendship so quickly by disagreeing.

I didn't ask and he didn't tell. That's how we begun.

If you were to ask me during our first week if Malfoy was my friend, I'd answer no. On the contrary, we hardly knew each other. Then again, we had a bond. It is that bond that kept us together. I didn't understand it at first but gradually, it came to me. It was a stream of acknowledgement that stood between us. We were thankful for the other. Well, at least I was.

During our silent times, I really was grateful that he was there. A gush of appreciation filled me up. He didn't have to be there, yet he was. He was always there. Never saying anything, he'd silently watch over me. I thought of him as my protector. Protecting against what, I did not know for sure but he was simply my safeguard. Now that I think of it, he was protecting me from the harshness of reality. Ebbing away the things I didn't want to know.

Throughout the weeks, I got to know him better. We never talked yet I learned about him. He was not a charmer, as I initially thought he was. Charm was unknown to him. He did not boast over who he slept with; rather, it was the other way around. I began to think that the girls that he attracted were simply stupid and thought that he was someone they could change.

I had not trusted him yet. For some reason, I could easily trust a new student, yet I could not trust this person. I'd observe him, and I'd tell myself that he is my friend. But, the trust did not come. Friendship is all based on trust. If the trust does not come, then how could friendship follow?

I finally decided that he was my friend. I did not trust him; nonetheless, he was my friend. I wanted to bring this up with him, since he was my "friend" but I couldn't find a good time. I couldn't easily ask him in school, where everyone was watching. It was during those silent days that I brought it up. I could not contain myself any longer. It just seemed too great to keep from him. Besides, I had the right to know. For the first time, I asked.

"Are we friends?"

He looked at me for a long time. He didn't respond right away, which is another thing I've learned about him. He studied my face, as if trying to figure out a preferred answer on my part. "Like I said, I have no friends and I don't need any."

He had an icy tone. I didn't want to provoke him any further, but I needed to know. "So what are we?"

"We are neither friends, nor enemies. We're not strangers to each other, but we're not friends. We aren't acquaintances."

I took in a sharp intake of air. "You've named what we aren't. Now name what we are."

He glared at me, as if daring me to ask more. I comprehended that he was being generous in letting me ask more than what I dared. "We are nothing to each other, yet everything at the same time."

His logic made no sense to me, whatsoever, but I decided to shut my mouth and think about it. I wanted to ask him what he meant by that but I knew the conversation was over and to continue it would be a waste of time.

I looked away, to the sparse trees surrounding the lake. Usually, couples find their way there to serenade each other in their private place. Malfoy and I, on the other hand, always sat under a tree, where a bench was located.

I didn't know why he chose to sit with me, if I was not his friend. He could have sat anywhere else, but he chose to sit with me. He never ate, and when he thought I wasn't watching, he'd examine me. He'd examine me until I spoke. But during our silent lunches, he'd watch me the whole time.

I never asked, he never told. That's how our relationship was like.

-:- -:- -:-

How long I was infatuated by him, I do not know. It started like a seed, and then sprouted into a tree. I realized with dismay that if he had disappeared spontaneously, I would be crushed. Not because he was my friend as I had originally thought, but because I had concealed affections for him. But I knew, without a doubt, that he did not feel the same way. He would never understand the concept of passion. He did not want to understand.

And yet, I wanted to believe otherwise. I wanted to hope, to dream, that he would one day find out what it was like to love and to be loved. I wanted to be the one that showed him this new idea. I wanted to be the one who changed him for the better. Was it wrong of me?

I was in a melancholy state for I knew, almost against my will, that it was a one-sided love. I loved him as a friend; he did not return it. I cherished his presence, but he did not care for mine. How long was I to feel this constant aching of my heart? How long was I to feel the grief?

Of course, I remembered Cedric. How he had moved my heart and changed the way I was. I felt that I was betraying him, somehow, like he was watching over me and disapproving of what I was doing. I didn't mean for this to happen, I assure you, but it just happened. It was as if I was sizing Cedric and Malfoy up, as if seeing which I loved more.

I expected to keep this inside and it would burn out, eventually. I didn't want to ruin what I had with Malfoy by unexpectedly springing this upon him. He would be appalled and maybe he'd laugh. He would stop whatever progress we made and leave me. I knew that much. I probably knew him more than anyone else, anyway.

Whether he knew I had liked him or not, he did not show any recognition of it. He acted the same with me, silent and closed. When we talked, his tone had no feeling into it. I've never seen him joyful or happy. It was not part of his hard life.

One day, when he did not show up during our usual lunch period, I wondered what had happened for I had seen him in class. Alarm spread throughout my body as I thought he did not want me anymore. I felt dejected and helpless. He had left me and I never even saw it coming. I concluded that he must've found out about how I felt and wanted to avoid me because of it.

It was paranoia to the greatest degree, but there was never logic in infatuation. You only thought the worst and you never thought of the many things that could have happened.

Towards the end of the break, however, he came through. It had been 5 minutes left and I was brooding over the cognition that he probably was amused by me this whole time and had not cared at all. He just came over, and you could just imagine my joy at that moment. Relief and warmth showered over me. I could hardly hide what I felt.

"Sorry," he simply said and sat down.

I smiled, broadly, unable to contain myself. Forgiveness was easy on my behalf. "It's ok."

I bit my lip to ask him why he was late because I knew questions were pointless. He would tell me on his own, if he wanted to tell me at all. I knew him long enough to understand that.

And sure enough, he explained, in an annoyed tone. "That stupid Karen doesn't know when enough is enough."

Hesitantly, I mustered up the courage to ask, "What happened?"

He sighed, in a tired fashion. He pushed some of his blonde hair out of his face, and then glanced at me. It was obvious he was debating whether or not to tell me. And then, "I slept with her over the weekend."

At those words, I nearly choked over my food. He paused to watch my reaction, as if anticipating a startling expression. Composing myself, I became a stone. I knew that all he could see is my calm disposition. He could not see further than that.

He continued, still very aware of my appearance, "She thinks that we're going out and she expects me to do the crap boyfriends do. I told her that it was a one night stand, and she started crying. It's disgusting. It caused a commotion because this is Karen, we're talking about. Ugh, she makes me so sick."

Dryly, I blurted out, "You know, if you didn't have sex every other day, this wouldn't have happened."

He peered into my eyes. I could see the anger that he was trying to recede. "I don't care about _that_. What she thinks is entirely up to her. Why should I care? You, of all people, should already have that concept. It was the fact that she had to cause a riot. She's got so many connections that I'll probably be in a fight this afternoon."

My heart's beating quickened. I didn't want him in a fight any more than I wanted him to have sex. My words were useless to him but I tried anyways. "Be careful. You could get seriously hurt or in deep trouble."

His eyes bore into mine. In a dead voice, he said, "I don't _care_. I can handle pain. Pain is a regular thing for me. As for trouble," he said, almost in a whisper, "I can handle that too. It's not new to me. Didn't you know that by now?"

The bell rang and he let go of my eyes, leaving me stunned.


	4. T h r e e

A/N: Thanks to **CappucinnoSunshine** for your review - I always wanted to have others to see Cho as nothing more than a normal teenage girl. And as for Malfoy, I think his guise is the hardest, yet easiest, semblance to characterize. It all depends on what's going to happen in the story.

Sleep Away Life

I decided that I would follow him after classes ended to make sure he doesn't get into trouble. Karen Connelly was a dangerous girl. She was the Slytherin prefect and she knew how to use her power. She had people that would defend her honor. She was friends with nearly everyone and knew how to manipulate others. At the snap of her fingers and they'd do anything she wished. Anything she wanted, she got. She was one of the most adored students in our school. She was almost like a female version of You-Know-Who to me. The more I thought about it, the more it made sense to me. You-Know-Who had his death eaters; Connelly had her crew of "friends".

The last bell rang and I grabbed my books and belongings, and I shoved them into my bag. Malfoy's class was not so far away from my own and knowing I couldn't simply yell his name inside school, I rushed out behind him. He was several meters ahead and I knew I needed to hurry so I wouldn't lose sight of him. He headed out through a door, leading to the dungeons, and I nearly missed him. Breathlessly, I caught up to his quick pace. He did not turn around, even though I believed I was quite loud in running.

Once we had walked out of sight, away from the crowd, he whirled around. "What the hell are you doing?" he hissed.

I froze. I had not known he knew I was following him. "I… didn't want you to get hurt or anything. So I followed you." I lowered my eyes to the ground. He must've thought I was nosy and stupid.

He didn't respond instantly but instead, he was struggling to say something. He managed to say, "Thanks, but I don't need help." My eyes widened. His voice was almost… soothing. It threw me off, but when I looked to his face, he was no longer looking at me but something behind me.

And then I heard footsteps. "Aw, that's so sweet, Draco. Unfortunately, bastard, that's going to be the last thing you say."

It was Connelly. She had a fairly large group of people with her. My heart dropped, and Malfoy's face hardened. He pushed me to the side so I wouldn't get caught inside the action. A split second later, one of her posse members grabbed me and roughly dragged me behind Connelly.

Fear gripped me and never let go. I saw Malfoy twitch ever so slightly that I believe I was the only one who noticed. His eyes became the cold, grey rocks that they were.

"When you said you wanted me, I thought you meant you wanted me as a person, not my body," she sneered. "You made me believe that you had changed and that I was the one who would last with you." She grinned, evilly. "I was stupid. But now, I get my revenge."

Swiftly, a seventh year, in my Charms class, shouted a spell, and it hit him in the stomach. He fell, clutching his abdomen. There was a lump in my throat that wouldn't go away. I shut my eyes tight to avoid seeing Malfoy in pain. My hands became numb and I could not watch him being beaten.

"Open your eyes, and watch your boyfriend," the person holding me jeered. His grip tightened. He smelled of heavy cologne mixed with sweat. It was enough to make me gag. And from what I had heard, he had a father that was a Death Eater, which made the knot in my stomach worse. I didn't want him to use any Dark Arts on me.

My eyes were bleary as I opened it, knowing that closing my eyes would not help matters. Malfoy was no longer on the ground but now was hexing and hitting anything and everything in his path. Karen seemed to disappear and all that was left was all the guys she brought with her. Malfoy's teeth were gritted and I spotted a cut on his lip. He threw jinxes everywhere and I watched in horror as he vanished from my view, behind the sea of people.

He emerged again, pushing and shoving. He had pushed himself through and turned around to get a better fighting position. He kicked the closest person and then began to slowly make his way through, using all of his spells and defenses. I realized that it was completely hopeless on his part. It was around ten versus one. Malfoy would be killed, I caught on, terrified.

I began to struggle out of my captor's hands, but he was stronger than I expected. His grip was painfully strong and I stopped because of the throbbing in my arms. Then, I began to rack my brain for a spell that may help me. I knew that I needed to cast a nonverbal spell so he would not suspect a thing.

_EXPELLIARMUS_, I thought. He gave a cry of shock and his wand flew out of his hand. At that chance, I yelled, "Confundus!" and he became dazed and I rushed off to see how Malfoy was doing.

Amazingly, Malfoy had conquered about half of the lot by himself. He was a hell lot stronger and smarter than I had believed. He pulled through and he cursed whoever was in front of him. I joined him and began yelling spells at the top of my head. "_Impedimenta_! _Petrificus Totalus_! _Rictusempra_! _Stupefy_! _Tarantallegra_!"

After a while, the band of people realized that they were losing and began to scatter and thin away. The bloke that had me for a while was still confounded but had enough sense to run with the rest of the band of people. Malfoy was panting and gasping for air by the time he was done. I watched him closely while he dropped beside me. His cut had become bigger and he had bruises all over his body. He caught his breath and glanced at me.

"Are you ok?" he asked, scratchily.

I nodded. "What about you?" I asked, worried. His wounds looked pretty bad. "Do you need to go to the hospital wing?"

He smiled for the first time. "No, I'm always the strongest."

I couldn't help but smile too. He seemed so relaxed. "Come on. Let's get you cleaned up."

-:- -:- -:-

He was sleeping in my bed, in my room. It would have made more sense for him to be in Bletchley's room but he wasn't in and I didn't know how long he'd take. I read through the library's copy of _The Healer's Helpmate_. I looked through the book for various healing charms and used them on Malfoy. It worked perfectly and before long, he was completely rid of all injuries.

Events happen so fast that you don't realize how long it's been until everything stops. I was sitting at my desk, not knowing what to do. I had finished taking a shower and cleaning up my own cuts. There was nothing else to do but to wait. Wait for Draco Malfoy to wake up from his slumber.

He was sleeping so calmly that I would hate to wake him. He seemed to be so peaceful and not so sad. Knowing my parents would never approve of a boy sleeping in my room, he'd have to go before Bletchley comes back or else he'll come to the worst conclusions. Sadly, rumors spread faster than a wildfire once it's out, especially when it concerns Malfoy, with his reputation. I decided to let him sleep until it was necessary for him to wake up.

I couldn't help but watch the boy who changed my life ever so quickly. The guy who protected me in my time of need. He was everything I needed and wanted.

His face was at ease. There was no hint of the careless façade he always wore. He seemed happier in his dreams, and it took all I had to keep me from staring deeply at him, think. I knew he'd come up with a retort if he woke up to that. I smiled to myself at that thought.

I never needed to wake him up, after all. He woke up on his own and at first, the surroundings confused him, but he saw me and understood and remembered. He got up and stretched. I watched him, curious to see what he'd do. Or say.

"I'm going to assume that your parents wouldn't approve of me here," he stated. He was glancing around my room, like a curator examining new paintings.

"Yeah, my parents would freak out if they found out," I said, a bit disappointed that he had said nothing else. "But they won't. You feel better?"

"I'll live."

He finally stopped looking around and settled his eyes on me. They were strangely blank and expressionless. I couldn't figure out what he was thinking. Not that I ever could, but it'd be nice to see a change.

He didn't say a word as he started towards the door. He was leaving and I was unusually downhearted. I suppose it was the fact he was leaving already. Or maybe it was because he had not said more than a few words. Whatever the reason, I was discontented.

As my thoughts trailed to the fight, I remembered his voice being soft and almost kind. They stuck out to me, and his words repeated over and over in my head. It was the first time I've ever heard him speak in a polite tone.

That was enough to confirm my question of whether we were friends or not. I began to recognize that the trust was always there. I didn't see it at all. I had always trusted him but I denied it to myself to not get too attached. I didn't want to trust him, at first. I was scared to, when no one else could. I didn't want to become more than friends.

Well, it's a little too late for that.


	5. F o u r

The Night is Young 

Was it likely that he and I became closer after that fight? Was that even possible? I didn't understand it. There was nothing different between us. Just a couple more exchanges of words but otherwise, it was normal. Or, at least, it seemed so. Perhaps it was me who changed. I, who saw the new side to Malfoy, was the one who had adjusted ever so quickly. When did I begin to call him Draco instead of Malfoy? How did I become his confidente?

I'm not sure exactly when it happened. It certainly didn't happen overnight but gradually. I didn't regard to what happened over time. It was after near Easter when I had finally acknowledged his openness with me. I wondered if it was because he wanted to shag me. Was it due to the fact that he likes sex? It couldn't be... could it?

"Draco."

He knew it was me before he lifted his head from the book. It was late, and the library was bound to close soon. He was the only student left. Looking at his undone work, I rolled my eyes. He was obviously procrastinating. He merely flicked a glance at me "Oh, it's you."

"Just reminding you that curfew is in a couple of minutes. Since the dungeons are the farthest away, you better head over," I said. Good Lord, I was almost his mother.

He didn't move a muscle. "I need to finish up my work."

"Well do it in your common room," I said, impatiently. "If some teacher catches you..."

"I won't get into too much trouble," he interrupted. "The common room is way too loud. Working in there is like trying to defy gravity."

"Well, work somewhere else. Filch is bound to have a reason to get students into trouble."

He looked up to me. The almost silver sapphire eyes made me shiver. I was drowning in them. "You have your own common room, don't you?"

I jerked back to reality. "Huh? Oh, yeah, I do."

He began shuffling his unfinished homework into his bag and swung it over his shoulders. He walked straight passed me and I had no choice but to follow. He was obviously intending to do his work in my room. Bletchley won't mind. In fact, the two of them could talk about whatever it is they talk about. As for me, with my work all finished and Head duties done(no thanks to Bletchley), I was going to turn in early.

On arriving, he looked to me, expectantly, and so I said the password, wondering if Draco'd try and sneak in at times. Knowing him, he probably would. Probably just to irritate me. Looking back to him, I saw his face impassive, so I don't know what he was thinking.

When the portrait swung open, I was very surprised to see Bletchley snogging a fourth year Slytherin girl that I only knew by face. That wasn't the shocking part of it. His white dress shirt was unbuttoned and I blushed. We had walked in at the wrong time.

Noticing me, the girl pushed away from the bloke and burned red. "Miles, you've got company." She sounded afraid but I could hear a hint of anger in her tone. No doubt Bletchley had promised her that no one would come in.

Bletchley turned and his face hardened. He growled, "Chang, I thought I told you not to bother me tonight."

I shook my head. "No, but I'll be happy to leave you two to do whatever you'd like to do. The night, after all, is still young."

The girl seemed to turn redder at those words. She grabbed her cloak which was lying on the floor. She glared at Bletchley. "I'll see you later," she said stiffly.

When the girl left, Bletchley turned on me. "What the hell was that for?"

"What? I'm not the one who brings younger girls to our common room to shag," I said, oily.

"You took Malfoy," he pointed, angrily.

Malfoy, who had disappeared from my mind, seemed to reappear out of no where. I was at loss for words because it was true. I had brought Malfoy. Not that I had such things on my mind but Bletchley wasn't going to listen to me. I became embarressed at myself for falling into such a trap.

"I invited myself," Draco interjected, coldly. His piercing stare was enough to make Bletchley back down.

He sneered. "Yes, it's quite fitting, isn't it? Dear Draco had never shagged someone that we could call pretty. I guess he's just trying to prove us all wrong in thinking that."

Tension filled the room and finally, Bletchley left to his room. I let go of the breath that I was unaware of holding in. I turned to Draco. "You know, you're a lot of trouble."

"No problem," he smirked. "I suppose I'll have to go after I'm done. Miles isn't the type that'd keep this to himself. Especially after you scaring away his girlfriend."

I looked at him, quizzically. "I just came in. She obviously didn't want to be discovered."

Malfoy rolled his eyes and set himself down on one of the plump chairs. In one motion, he took out everything he needed. I had wanted to keep him company, for the sake of being a good hostess, but he seemed fine without me and so I went to my own room.

Unfortunately for me, I was unable to sleep. After tossing and turning for an hour, I stared at the light seeping in from the crack beneath the door. I anticipated the light to turn off any second now. When it didn't, I became restless. He was still there and I wanted to join him.

Tentatively, I silently crawled out of bed and opened the door slowly. The light flooded in as if it were kept away for too long. The sudden brightness caused me to pause and grow accustomed to the light. When my eyes were used to the light, I looked to where he was. He seemed absorbed into his book. His hair was already beginning to become back to the natural state it was meant to be in. His gel was wearing off. One hand was propping his head up and the other was on the book.

I walked down the stairs, wanting to get a closer view. Once I was quite near, I realized that he was not reading at all. He was asleep! For a split second, I had wanted to retreat back to my room, to not make it my problem. But of course, it was nearly impossible. The boy who I had all but loved was sleeping ever so peacefully before me. I stood there, gaping and debating on what I should do. Should I just bring him a blanket and have him sleep here the whole night? Should I wake him up? Can I just leave him?

After a minute of wondering what to do, I resolved to wake him. It was the only right thing to do. My hand reached out to shake his shoulder but stopped. My hand was an inch away from his face. I could have easily touched it. I could have stroked his hair out of his face. I pulled back my arm. What was wrong with me? Why was it such a big deal to just _touch_ him? I shut my eyes. When I opened them, I almost expected him to be awake and wonder what I was doing. But he was still asleep, in the same calm position.

I smiled to myself. It must've been funny to have someone watch me right then and there. That person would think there was something wrong with me.

He stirred and I froze. Luckily, he didn't wake up to see me staring at him. He just shifted his position and went right on sleeping. If you had told me that I would be staring at Draco Malfoy at the beginning of that school year, I would have laughed in your face and say how ridiculous that was, but when I was in that room, with him, I felt a sudden soothing feeling. Like I wasn't alone anymore.

"Malfoy," I whispered. I didn't need to touch him to wake him. "Malfoy..." He didn't move. Was he just pretending? "Draco!"

His eyes shot open. They were pink and weary. He took a while to understand where he was. "Chang..."

"You have to go," I said, quietly. "Sorry for waking you."

He sighed, tiredly. "Can't I just stay here?" he croaked.

"Bletchley..."

"I don't give a damn about Bletchley. Let me stay here for the night and I swear I'll be gone before either of you are up."

I considered this. "You'll sleep on the couch?"

"Yeah, why not?"

I bit my lip. What I was about to suggest was not what I had ever expected me to ever say. "Why don't you just stay in my bed?"

He laughed. "What about you? We can't stay in the same bed."

I smiled, playing a thought in my mind. "Why not?"

You cannot imagine the mixture of shock and curiousity that was plastered onto his face after I said that.


	6. F i v e

The warmth woke me up first. My other senses weren't awoken. I could feel the warmth of another person's body, pressing against mine. The comforter was wrapped around me and the soft Egyptian cotton against my cool face. Slowly, one by one, my senses returned to me. I could smell the exotic scents of what was next to me. I heard the easy breathing of this living body. Finally, my eyes opened. I could make out his arm around my waist in the dim light. Then, it clicked. The night before spilled into my mind.

I gave a small gasp and nearly jumped out of his arms. I sat on the edge of my bed, as far away as possible, wondering when, during the night, did he end up holding me ever so closely. He was still asleep when I looked, thank Merlin. Who knows what would have happened if he woke up before me? I shook my head as I thought of all the endless possiblities that he could have done.

The clock read ten minutes until seven. It was fairly early and I decided to leave Draco alone to sleep. I grabbed all my toiletries and went to the bathroom to prepare myself for the long day ahead. Minutes later, I was going through the portrait hole and made my way towards the Great Hall. There were a fair amount of people and I spotted Marietta.

"Cho!" Marietta said, brightly. "You're up!"

I smiled. "So I am. What are you so happy about?"

Grabbing a piece of toast, she rolled her eyes. "Is it too much to just be happy that I finally got a chance to talk to my dear friend who usually sleeps rather late?"

I laughed as I sat down next to her. I took a cinnamon bun and nibbled on it. "Well you got your chance to talk so spill."

She giggled. It was an attractive giggle. One that was melodious and sweet. Not like Parkinson's type that was just plain idiotic sounding. "Well, remember the ball?"

"How could I forget?" I asked, remembering the ball that Draco and I were working together to put up.

"You know I went with Michael Corner, right?" she asked, pausing slightly. Ah yes, I remember him all too well. I dated him for a few weeks during my sixth year. He was a really nice person but a bit too emotional. He'd get pretty upset easily and would express his opinions through his sadness or anger.

"Yes, I know."

"Well, we got pretty serious since then." She waited a while. When I didn't speak, she continued, "I mean, I know you two went out for a while. So, I was wondering if it was ok with you."

I gave her a smile. "It's ok. He wasn't my type anyways. You two would be so great together. And he's not a git like Mal-" I stopped. It was such a habit that I didn't realize that I was so used to calling Draco a git or a bastard.

"Malfoy?" she said, wrinkling her nose. "Yes, anyone would be better than that moron. Even that Potter."

Harry. Marietta hated the Gryffindor. She thought he was dodgy and always an attention seeker. I didn't think so but I couldn't say anything or else Marietta would bring up what he had done to me last year.

"Anyway, Michael should be here any minute. He's really sweet about spending as much time with me as possible," she said, almost in a bored voice.

"Yeah," I said, not really paying attention to what she was saying. My eyes wandered over to the Gryffindor's table. I found myself looking at those emerald eyes and jet-black hair. Why does he always look so good?

"Chang," a voice drawled behind me. So sleeping beauty finally woke up. "Why the hell are you staring at that-goddamn-idiot Potter?"

I turned to face someone I found to be better than Harry. His hair was once again gelled and artificial-looking. He looked as if he was never sleeping. His azure eyes were alive as ever and were as cold as ever as well. He obviously changed out of his robes and looked as fresh as ever.

Marietta stiffened and abruptly went to go look for Michael. Draco didn't let his eyes leave mine. I averted my gaze and answered, "I wasn't."

He sneered. "What are you trying to pull, Chang? Get over yourself. For that matter, get over that fool. He's not worth anyone's time. It's a wonder why he and you ever got along."

Well, that hurt. "Malfoy, why don't you shut the hell up and leave me alone? Who I like is none of your damn business."

He bent over so close that I could smell the same whiff that I did this morning. He was only one inch away. "You don't know how much it's my business," he hissed.

I pushed him away and got up. If he came just to insult me, then he could go die. Marietta wasn't so far away and I could tell that she was glaring as hard as she could at Malfoy. I made a move towards her direction but Malfoy pulled me back. Even if I could break out of his grasp, I wouldn't because his touch was all it took for me to let loose my anger. He let go and motioned for me to follow. I had no choice but to obey.

I followed him into an empty classroom. Was it fear or was it excitement that was stirring in my heart? He shut the door and murmured a spell to lock it. Then he turned back to me. He was back to his indifferent self. No malice or hostility showed. "Good show, Chang. Now you've made everyone seem to think you hate me even more."

Was he complimenting me or reprimanding me? I couldn't tell behind his facade. "So I did."

He smiled faintly. "I had a good sleep last night. Your bed is comfortable. I couldn't have made it back to my dorm since I was so out of it."

An eyebrow shot up. "Are you thanking me?"

"Don't push it, Cho."

I laughed. We were alone in a locked room. And his... _civility_ seemed to highten my spirits. "Ok, Draco. I have to go to my classes now." I nodded towards the door. "I'll see you later?"

He shrugged. "I think I'll be spending some time with Miles later. I must speak to him about last night. He's probably really mad at you. I can also get my work done in your common room."

I smiled and said, "Alohomora!". The lock quietly clicked open and I turned to him one last time. In the direct sunlight, he seemed much different than he was now. He was more relaxed looking and blended into his surroundings just fine. I must've stared a little longer than needed for he said "Chang" and I sped out of the room.

-:- -:- -:-

"Cho," Padma bursted out. "Nearly everyone saw you following Malfoy out of the Great Hall!"

I choked and began coughing. Thankfully, Marietta took over. "Oh, Malfoy was just being the stupid idiot that he is. That bloke was yelling at Cho for staring at Potter or whatever. But Cho wasn't even looking at him! I bet he must've said something horrible because she followed him out. She didn't look so happy either," she said, triumphantly.

"Well, the word is that you and Malfoy are pretty close," Padma said, curiously. "Even Potter was wondering about it. Parvati told me about how he was asking Granger why you were talking with him."

That got my attention. Harry was asking about me? I kept my expressions neutral and tried to keep my voice bored as I said, "Why would he care about me? I don't even hang out with him anymore."

Padma snorted. "He obviously hates Malfoy, right? So it must be that he doesn't want Malfoy doing anything, especially with his ex-girlfriend."

I turned red. "I am not his ex-girlfriend. I only fancied him for a bit." That was far from true, but I didn't want to admit anything. Not to Padma, who was very close to Parvati, who would probably tell Harry anything I said.

"Well, I'm just saying. He fancied you, didn't he? He was being over-protective of you, if you asked me."

"I didn't," I said, curtly. Padma was a bit put down but her friends dragged her away from us and went off to their classes. I made a mental note to make it up to her later on. Lisa Turnip, another friend of mine, approached me wondering the same thing. I stuck with what Marietta had said and explained it. In fact, quite a few people inquired about the morning's incident and I wanted nothing more than to hex my way through classes.

During lunch, I escaped to the only sanctuary I had: outside. Draco was already there and I let him in on what everyone was saying. He didn't think of it as a big deal like me. Instead, he said, "So let them think that. Let them be wrong."

I was obviously still troubled but I let it go. It was pointless to move on. "Harry was asking about me."

His eyes narrowed. His voice was cool as he asked, "Yeah?"

"Padma was telling me about how he was concerned about me." Why was I telling him this?

He watched the Giant Squid's tentacle make a trail in the water. "Of course, he's the brilliant and brave Harry Potter," he said, sarcastically. "I'm sure he just wants to save you from my grasp." His eyes were fiery when he finally looked at me. "He thinks he can have anything in the world. Everything he does is to get something for himself."

I shook my head, vigorously. "That's not true. He doesn't even want to be the boy who lived. He doesn't want to have that scar on his forehead that makes him different from everyone else. He wishes he was normal," I said, defending him. What was wrong with me?

"So go back to him. It's obvious that you still are very into him," he said. Contempt and rage shook in every syllable he spoke. "I'll bet you slept with him anyways."

Something must've blew up inside of me because the next thing that happened was me, on my feet, yelling, "How dare you accuse me of such horrible thing! I didn't even like Harry that much!"

"So why the hell are you defending him as if he were your boyfriend or whatever?" Malfoy seethed.

"Shut up, Malfoy. SHUT THE HELL UP!" I yelled as loud as I could.

After that, I remember his eyes glinting a bit before he stalked off in a haughty mood. I don't know why but I felt a sudden regret for yelling at him, which is something he probably got from his father all the time. I didn't want to become the enemy.


	7. S i x

I was brooding over my mistake of yelling at Draco when Harry approached me. I couldn't say I wasn't expecting it but I was surprised, nevertheless. It was dinner and I wasn't particularly eating. I was poking and prodding my food when he came over. His green eyes seemed concerned and curious.

"Cho," he said, uncomfortably eyeing Marietta's glare, "can I talk with you somewhere quiet?"

"Sure," I said, slowly.

He seemed relieved and waited for me to get up from my table. Ironically, I followed Harry into the same classroom that Draco led me to that very morning. He summoned two chairs for us to sit and sat down, still fidgeting a bit.

He seemed to have a hard time saying something so I tried starting. "So... How's your Quidditch team?"

He smiled. "We're doing good. Not as good as we were in my second year. Oliver was still here."

I nodded. "Yes, he was a good captain, wasn't he? But you're good too, Harry."

"Not that good. I still have to train my team better."

There was an awkward silence. Exasperated, I blurted out, "So what do you want to talk with me about?"

"I was wondering," he began. "I mean, I saw you this morning with Malfoy. I was just wondering if everything was alright."

I nodded, reasurringly. "Everything's fine. If that's all you came to ask me about..."

"Cho, I'm worried about you. The word is that you've been spending more and more time with that git," he said.

I flushed. "He is not a git," I said, without thinking. "He's just..." I stopped. I clamped my mouth shut and cursed myself for telling him more than he should know.

Harry's eyebrows shot up. "What?"

I tried to think of something quick. "I mean, he isn't a git. He's just... stupid." I paused. "I don't think he knows what he's doing is bad."

Harry was silent. Wasn't it ironic how I was defending Harry to Malfoy and the other way around? Harry seemed at loss for words and the silence was beginning to become uneasy.

I got up. "Thanks, Harry, for your consideration." I didn't know what else to say so I simply said, "Bye."

Harry rose from his chair as well. "Cho, I'm sorry about last year. I still like you. D'you think you and me... that we could someday..."

"Date?" I finished for him. I hesitated before saying, "I don't know, Harry. I liked you a lot but I think I have feelings for someone else now."

He smiled, weakly. "It's not Malfoy, is it?"

I didn't answer his question. "You had your chance. Now others can have their chance too."

-:- -:- -:-

When I returned to my common room that night, I saw none other than Draco. He was talking with Bletchley and they seemed to be discussing something serious and stopped right when I came in. Bletchley smirked. I could sense that it was not a good thing.

"Hey Chang! There are two of us and only one of you. No one else is here and I'm bored. Let's have a little fun, shall we?"

I narrowed my eyes. "Let's not."

Draco sneered. "She's not worth it. Shagging Parkinson will be more pleasurable."

His comment stung. Not that I wanted him to have sex with me, but to have Parkinson compared to me and having her to be better was somehow hurtful. I glared at him.

Bletchley rolled his eyes. "Parkinson is too easy. I want a challenge." His eyes scanned my body, causing me to redden. "Someone that's unpredictable."

"So go f--- Bulstrode. I hear she's still a virgin," Draco drawled.

Bletchley made a face. "It's obvious why. Who'd want to wake up and face _her_ first thing in the morning?"

I didn't want to hear anymore. Their conversation was repulsive and disgusting. I headed towards the stairs.

Bletchley grabbed my arm. "I'm not done with you, Chang." His eyes were wild and they were focused on my chest.

"Let go!" I tried strugging out of his grasp but he was strong and I couldn't. I turned to Draco for help but he was sitting on the couch, not moving a muscle. His expression was strict amusement. I desperately pulled out my wand. "I'll curse you!"

He plucked my wand out of my hand as easily as you would when you pick a flower. He threw it towards Draco and he pulled me close. I could smell sweat and his pungent body odor. Alarm and panic coursed through my body. Why wasn't Draco helping? He began taking off my cloak and no matter how hard I struggled, he kept at it. My breats were pressed against his chest and I was numb with fear. I didn't stop yelling.

"_Stupefy!_"

All I saw was a bright red light, and I went unconscious.

-:- -:- -:-

_A/N: Thank you to all your reviews! I know it's not that good so if you spot any kind of mistakes, please let me know. Grammatical errors, spelling, plotline contradictions, etc. I try hard to catch these mistakes but I'm human so I'll need to depend on the reader! As for the storyline, what do you think? Who do you think conjured the stunning spell? Short chapter but I promise for a longer one next _:)


	8. S e v e n

_(A/N: I'M SO SORRY! I'm soooo sorry for the delay. I was moving houses and we didn't have internet until recently. Plus, I was having a tiny writer's block. Gosh, I hope you like this chapter. There's a lot of emotional, quick action and deep thoughts. Well, as deep as Cho can get, at least. Anyway, thank you SO much for the reviews! You guys are awesome!)_

My headache woke me up. I felt as if I had only slept for thirty minutes. The pounding in my head was painful and I had to breathe slowly to keep the throbbing at a bare minimum. It was still dark and I wondered what time it was when the night's events hit me like an arrow. The fear that was lodged in my heart was a black liquid, filling me up. What the hell happened last night?

I slowly sat up, trying to remember everything but couldn't. The last thing I recalled was the red light. I thought a bit more and, turning cold, I realized that someone had stunned me. Bletchley stunned me! He did it so he could...

I couldn't bring myself to finish that sentence. I rushed out of my room and the pang in my head made me stop and sit on my steps. The thought of what could have happened made me want to throw up. Why didn't Draco rescue me? What exactly happened? Did Bletchley actually..?

"No," I whispered, shuddering.

"Chang." He was standing in front of me. I could tell he had fallen asleep here in this common room.

Maybe a week ago, that voice would have meant the world to me. I would have stopped what I was doing just to hear him say more. Now, however, everything's changed. That voice belonged to the same person I had believed to be my friend, my ally.

"Chang, are you alright?"

I shivered. "Stay away from me."

Draco stopped where he was. "What now?"

I laughed, hysterically. "What now?" I stood up, ignoring my headache. "You have the audacity to ask me 'What now?'?" I was yelling. "I WAS STUNNED LAST NIGHT, HAVING NO CLUE OF WHAT HAPPENED. I'M HOPING YOU COULD TELL ME WHAT NOW!"

His eyes flickered. "If it weren't for me, you'd have no clue what kind of hell you'd be in," he said, icily.

That only made me madder. "You watched me without giving me any kind of help! You let that bastard get a hold of me!"

"I let him? Far from. Was it not I that tried to convince him otherwise? Was it not I that stunned him?" He glared at me. "I had to stun you because you were so close to him and there was no other way! He was about to go at you and I had to think of something fast!"

My head hurt too much. "What?"

None of us said anything. I absorbed all of what he said and what can I say? The information he gave me made perfect sense. It swirled in my head, along with relief and joy. Typical Malfoy, making me feel stupid. I smiled, out of joy, relief, and just plain humor.

He was surprised to see me change expressions so quickly. "Are you ok?"

I nodded. "Just relieved that nothing happened after all."

"Thanks to me."

"You conceited git."

"Why, what a brilliant compliment. I'll be sure to return it to you soon."

Strangely, our conversation has turned into normal small talk. But I was too happy to mention it. Life was too good to point out little details that didn't matter. I was just glad that he helped me and I didn't have a reason to stay angry at him.

"Draco, is your reputation so important that you have to pretend all the time?" It was an odd question but it had been on my mind for a while. Ever since he had insulted me in the Great Hall, in fact.

He shrugged. "What my reputation is reflects who I am. If you believe that I'm important, then my reputation is as well."

I rolled my eyes. "Stop this philosophical bullshit and answer the question."

"Yes, my reputation is the most important thing I possess. So, yes, I need to pretend, as you say it."

I frowned. "Most important thing?"

"Yes." His voice had an air of impatience to it.

"What about friends?" I asked, slowly. "What about me?"

He scoffed. "I told you once and I'll tell you again: We are not friends. I don't have friends."

"If we're not friends, why the hell do I call you by your first name and vice versa?"

He shrugged. "Merely calling someone by name does not count to the fact that we are friends."

"Oh, bullshit. I know you better than anyone in Hogwarts. Hell, I know you better than _anyone_ in general." I don't know why his cold words got me so worked up. "If we're not friends, _Malfoy_, why did you rescue me?"

He didn't answer straight away. Just as I began to think I won, he said, "You don't know me at all. If you knew me, you would've known by now."

"Known what?" I asked, not out of curiosity but out of frustration.

He merely jerked his head. He wanted to provoke me, I thought, furiously. One moment, we were fine, the next, we were at each other again. It was baffling.

"Oh, sod off," I said, annoyed.

He stared at me with such intensity that it wouldn't have surprised me if his eyes became like laser beams, boring into my own eyes. I looked away. I could feel his stare clawing at me. I dared not move a muscle. My instincts told me that if I moved, I would surely regret it.

He strode over, silently. I refused to meet his gaze. I could feel his breathing on me and still, I didn't face him. Nothing happened for a few heart-stopping moments. Then, his fingers touched my face and directed it to face him and finally, I stared back into his eyes. His face was an inch away from mine before I began to anticipate what was going to happen. Was he doing what I thought he was doing?

His face did not move any more forward or any more backwards. Instead, he seemed to be studying my face, my reaction to his sudden shift. Was he going to kiss me?

The minutes passed slowly, like the last seconds before your last class ends for the entire year. I could faintly smell thelingering scent that he always wore. The hot air that I felt was his slow, silent breathing. I gripped the end of my shirt, tightly, until I could feel it turn numb. I was always somewhat nervous around him but never have I felt as strange and awkward as this. How I wanted his lips to touch mine. I wanted to be able to find out whether he tasted like how he smelled. I wanted the same light feeling I get when I had kissed Cedric.

Oh, God, Cedric. His sudden memory jolted me. What was I doing? Cedric was everything I wanted. Everything that I needed. What was I doing with Draco Malfoy, the boy least like Cedric? I was betraying his memory. I was betraying everything that I had once lived for. Weren't those the sweetest memories I posessed? The time I spent with Cedric made me happy and joyful. How could I throw it all away for someone like Malfoy? Even if Cedric had wanted me to move on, why would I choose Draco Malfoy, of all people? In fact, I would bet all my galleons that Cedric would have prefered me with Harry. At least with Harry, I didn't have to keep guessing.

Yet, wasn't that the whole point of this? Guessing. It was the fun part about Malfoy. I would never know what's going to happen next. I never had to guess around Cedric and maybe that was why I felt so safe. Around Malfoy, I was never safe. It was the adrenaline of the whole ordeal that kept me going. Malfoy is someone that could keep me alive. So why do I feel so horrible about it?

His face was too close. And then, he stopped. He pulled back right before the moment he was supposed to kiss me. Stunned, I watched him, wondering what his expression seemed to explain. As usual, I saw nothing. Nothing at all. His reaction was either covered up or simply not there.

"What. Are. You. _Doing_." I said, in my short breaths. He was hardly visible now. He was blurred and obscure. Was I crying? I was. Was it because of Cedric's memory or because Malfoy didn't kiss me like I wanted him to?

He stared at my tear-filled eyes. Of course, being the insensitive wart that he was, he said, simply,"You must be thinking about Cedric again."

Had it not been so serious to me, I would have laughed and deny it, but instead, the hollow feeling inside of me increased. I didn't want to admit it but it was almost true. I did miss Cedric, now more than ever. I didn't ask for Malfoy. I certainly didn't ask for me to like him. But he's here and my feelings were rather real. So,what exactly was I afraid of?


End file.
